Lynne M. Spreen

Goodbye to the Blues by Lynne Spreen Book Review/Endorsement, 2/27/18

Lynne Spreen delivers a fast-paced, engaging and entertaining read in Goodbye to the Blues. In this stunning third installment of The Blues series, Karen Grace comes full circle from a place of confusion about who she is and what she wants at age fifty to a place of strength and empowerment at age sixty. Karen Grace is every woman who has ever suffered setbacks and comes back stronger and more content through the process.

Goodbye to the Blues is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, the value and power of friendships, the risks and joys of love and the beauty of aging gracefully. In Spreen’s words, it is an “Adult Coming-of-Age” story.

Though this is a novel, through her fluid and descriptive writing, her characters are living, breathing human beings with all their flaws and redeeming features and the reader gets swept away into a believable and satisfying story with a strong message about claiming your inner strength and growing through your trials to live the life you want and deserve.

I highly recommend this riveting and relevant story.… (más)

Key Largo Blues by Lynne Spreen Book Review, 10/11/16

Lynne Spreen picks up where she left off in Dakota Blues with protagonist Karen Grace breaking free at midlife. With the help of a feisty and unforgettable ninety-year–old woman, Freida, Karen finds freedom and independence.

This newly found freedom sets up all sorts of conflict and frustration in Key Largo Blues as Karen walks away from a romantic relationship with Curt, the handsome university professor who lives on a farm in Dickinson, North Dakota. Karen moves to Key Largo, Florida in the RV she and Freida had used to traverse the country and settles in with an eclectic group of women called the CRS ladies who travel together in their RVs. She sets her sights on establishing her own recruiting business though she has very limited resources.

With this backstory, she then takes us on a whirlwind tour of Karen’s struggle to fulfill her driving need to establish herself as an entrepreneur. In the process, she fights the good old boy network, societal expectations about a woman’s role and her own inner conflicts about love and lasting relationships.

Spreen’s characters are believable and multidimensional. Her ability to create tension and keep the pace going --sometimes at a fever itch—kept me turning the pages. Karen’s struggles as a female in the workplace are reflective of many midlife women’s struggles. Through Freida’s granddaughter, Jessie, she addresses domestic violence and masterfully weaves together three separate stories—her’s, Curt’s and Jessie’s into a cohesive and compelling plot with a satisfying ending.

I am a fan of Lynne’s crisp, edgy voice and she delivers another fast-paced, engaging and entertaining story with a valuable and relevant message about midlife empowerment. I highly recommend this read to anyone interested in midlife transitions.… (más)